Travel Team by Mike Lupica
Reviewed by Mimi
If you've ever been the little guy, always doubted and picked on by others, then you'll understand the plight of Danny Walker, or at least you'd think you would from the back cover.
Travel Team is yet another book that will put you to sleep. The book chronicles the everyday account of Danny Walker's life as a 7th grader. His father, who's an alcoholic, used to be a world famous NBA player until a car crash ruined his life, and he abandoned his wife and kid and moved to Las Vegas. Now Danny wants to live up to his father's name and prove he's a great basketball player as well. But unfortunately for Danny, despite his talents, the coaches say he is simply too short and he is turned down by the "travel team". Together he and his newly returned father decide to build a basketball team that accepts anyone and turns them into a basketball star. Will Danny ever grow into the basketball player he's bound to be or will he always be the low man on the totem pole? I didn't come looking for this book with high expectations but I figured I would give it a chance. The main character, Danny, is very unrealistic, since he does not talk like a typical preteen and is not a well rounded character. The author has many run on sentences and I also found the dialog unbelievable. The author either does not know kids these days or is painting a picture of an idealistic world. Don't put yourself through reading this....just forget it and keep moving.
Posted by at January 22, 2010 01:53 PM